Mother's detention extended after son's death in Charleville

Gardaí are continuing to question the 43-year-old mother of an eight-year-old boy, her only child, after his death at a house in North Cork.

Ms Ward was arrested at Cork University Hospital yesterday after an autopsy revealed her son Anthony had been asphyxiated at their home in Charleville.

She was driven by detectives to Mallow Garda Station at 6.16pm yesterday, and was detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

Ms Ward's period of detention was extended this afternoon; she can now be questioned until 1am.

She had been receiving medical care at CUH since gardaí found her in "a very distressed state" at the house in Harrison Place on Monday.

They found Anthony dead in his bed at about 9.30am.

Anthony's body is lying in repose this evening and will be removed later to the Church of the Holy Cross in Charleville, for funeral mass and burial tomorrow.

As Anthony’s funeral arrangements were finalised yesterday, his extended family asked for donations to be made to Cork Mental Health instead of floral tributes.

Additional reporting by Sean O'Riordan and Niall Murray